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THE MARITIME ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES (MAA) is the national organization of the maritime community for alternative dispute resolution. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including arbitration and mediation, is faster and less expensive than courtroom litigation.

As a nonprofit organization, the MAA educates the maritime community about ADR and administers cases under its Rules. Maritime disputes require specialized legal expertise. The MAA is the only national ADR organization whose arbitrators and mediators are maritime lawyers. They are peer-reviewed for the highest standards of ethics, impartiality and competence. To ensure predictability and fairness, cases are handled in appropriate U.S. venues, rather than distant cities or foreign countries.

The MAA helps achieve the fair and just resolution of maritime disputes, whether they are related to cargo, marinas, passengers, shipyards, or vessels. Parties deciding to write an MAA dispute resolution provision into their contracts should review the resources available on this website.

Standard Arbitration Clause

If the parties wish to arbitrate their dispute, the following provision may be inserted in contracts (select desired option from among those provided in parentheses):

Any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or related to this contract, or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity thereof, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, shall be submitted to and decided by binding arbitration in (insert the desired city of arbitration), before (one) (three) arbitrator(s) administered by the Maritime Arbitration Association of the United States in accordance with its Rules, and final judgment on the award rendered by the arbitral tribunal may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The parties understand they are waiving any right to a jury trial. This clause shall not preclude parties from seeking provisional remedies in aid of arbitration from a court of competent jurisdiction.